Constance Wu

Birthday: 22 March 1982, Richmond, Virginia, USA

Birth Name: Constance Tianming Wu

Constance Wu was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia where she grew up performing in the local community theatre scene. At 16, she moved to New York to study at the famed Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and she's been busy ever since. While in New York, she worked in classical theatre and quickly transitioned to film work. She soon appeared in several Sundance Feature Films including "Stephanie Daley," and "Year of the Fish." In 2010, she moved to Los Angeles where her theatre and film background helped land her a role in another Sundance Feature, "The Sound of My Voice." In 2014, she was cast as Jessica Huang in the ABC comedy series, "Fresh Off the Boat," scheduled to premiere in early 2015. Based on Eddie Huang's memoir, it is set in the 1990s and revolves around a Taiwanese family that moves to suburban Orlando. She enjoys long-distance running, camping, piano, and reading. She currently lives in Silverlake, Los Angeles with her pet bunny Lida Rose. Show less «

All the networks have always been willing to have ethnic people as the third or fourth lead or the b...Show more »

All the networks have always been willing to have ethnic people as the third or fourth lead or the best friend to the white person. But to actually let a black family or an Asian family carry a show, that's something where there hasn't really been a precedent set in terms of a real financial gain. Show less «

When I was a teenager, I worked at the Gap for a summer folding shirts. That was pretty mindless and...Show more »

When I was a teenager, I worked at the Gap for a summer folding shirts. That was pretty mindless and soul-sucking. Show less «

I don't aspire to just play things that are like me. Whether the accent is Taiwanese or British or C...Show more »

I don't aspire to just play things that are like me. Whether the accent is Taiwanese or British or Canadian - that is the very craft in which I was trained. It is my absolute privilege and honor to do that. Show less «

Specificity is what makes good storytelling, and good storytelling is what makes money, and making m...Show more »

Specificity is what makes good storytelling, and good storytelling is what makes money, and making money is then what encourages new producers to invest in different stories about Asians. Show less «

I'm always hungry for the next thing. I'm never resting on my laurels.

Usually, I'll be auditioning for the third lead, and there will be Latina actresses, Indian actresse...Show more »

Usually, I'll be auditioning for the third lead, and there will be Latina actresses, Indian actresses, African American actresses because it will be like, 'Let's check off this box. We have our lead white girl, and we need an ethnic slot.' Show less «

People are embracing the thing that made them different growing up instead of letting that thing eli...Show more »

People are embracing the thing that made them different growing up instead of letting that thing elicit shame. Show less «

People's passion and desire for authenticity is strong.

My parents did not pay a cent for my education; they didn't give me a car or furniture - I did that ...Show more »

My parents did not pay a cent for my education; they didn't give me a car or furniture - I did that 100% on my own. I had to pay back a lot. Show less «

I was emotional. I wanted to be taken seriously. I was pretty emo. I was reciting Shakespeare monolo...Show more »

I was emotional. I wanted to be taken seriously. I was pretty emo. I was reciting Shakespeare monologues when I was 10. I still know the whole 'To be, or not to be...' monologue, because I knew it when I was 10. Show less «

Working on 'Fresh Off the Boat' has been really enlightening to me because it's made me actually thi...Show more »

Working on 'Fresh Off the Boat' has been really enlightening to me because it's made me actually think about the roles that Asians and Asian-American women have played in media. Not because I didn't think it was important before, but because before, I was really focused on just paying my rent. Show less «

I feel like I could carry a movie or a show, and I'll mess up here and there, and I'll learn from th...Show more »

I feel like I could carry a movie or a show, and I'll mess up here and there, and I'll learn from those things. Show less «

Authentic programming that shows the outside world garners authentic interest.

The more you know about somebody's back story, the deeper you can delve into that well, and the more...Show more »

The more you know about somebody's back story, the deeper you can delve into that well, and the more your comedic choices resonate full-body instead of just being quick, quippy one-liners that are just like a bunch of people trying to be clever. Because after a while, cleverness is just really obnoxious! Show less «

I'm constantly paranoid that I'll be unemployed for the rest of my life... and have to go back foldi...Show more »

I'm constantly paranoid that I'll be unemployed for the rest of my life... and have to go back folding shirts at the Gap, which you know... you gotta do what you gotta do. Show less «

I do think there are some actors that can get away with trying to be funny, and they're still funny ...Show more »

I do think there are some actors that can get away with trying to be funny, and they're still funny because they're just likeable, and you want to see them. Me, though, when you see me trying to be funny, it's like the worst thing in the world. It's needy, it's cloying, it's manipulative - it's bad. Show less «

If the writing is good, then the writing is already funny. All you have to do is make this funny wri...Show more »

If the writing is good, then the writing is already funny. All you have to do is make this funny writing true to the very deepest of your heart, and the fact that you are capable of making this true will be hysterical. Show less «

You're never going to please everyone, and if you do, there's something wrong.

It's my privilege to be able to play somebody not myself. I'm an actor who creates characters based ...Show more »

It's my privilege to be able to play somebody not myself. I'm an actor who creates characters based in voice, movement, emotional quality, speech. Show less «

Constance Wu

Constance Wu's FILMOGRAPHY

Constance Wu'S roles

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